Sir HENRY DRAYTON moved:

That, in accordance with the recommendation contained in the first report of the select standing committee on Standing Orders, May 11, the petition of the Sealright Company Incorporated, presented May 4, praying for an act to extend the time for payment of fees on a certain patent owned by the said company be now read and received.

He said: I may say that the motion was made covering some of the patents but for some reason or other this one was overlooked.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

Before the orders of the day are proceeded with, I should like to ask, now that we have all the papers, I think, in connection with the Rouyn Railway Bill, with the exception of the agreement with the province of Quebec, that agreement having been completed and appropriate legislation passed, if the government will forthwith table the agreement with the legislation.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING *(Prime Minister): The Minister of Railways (Mr. Dunning) is not in his seat just now, *but I will direct his attention to the question -of my hon. friend.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

When the Minister of Finance (Mr. Robb), brought down the information, I think he was Acting Minister of Railways. It would be easy for him to supplement the information by bringing down the agreement.

Hon. H. H. STEVENS (Vancouver Centre):

I would like to ask the government if any

action is contemplated to extend beyond July 19, 1926, the time for making application to come under the provisions of the Civil Service Superannuation Act of 1924. My reason for asking this question is that quite a large number of employees of the government, for instance in the Taxation branch, have not as yet been brought under the Civil Service Act as permanent employees, and therefore have had no opportunity or right to apply to come under this Superannuation Act. Perhaps I cannot expect an answer to-day, but I should be glad if the government would consider the matter and intimate in a day or two whether the act can be extended for another year in order to afford an opportunity for the adjustment of some of these outstanding difficulties, and particularly to permit some of these employees, some of whom in the Taxation branch have been in the service for nearly ten years and who are not yet classified as civil servants, to apply to come under the Superannuation Act.

Hon. J. A. ROBB (Minister of Finance):

As my hon. friend knows, the legislation creating the Taxation branch was introduced by a previous government and it was they who left the employees of that branch outside of the regular civil service. I make that observation in passing. I suppose that is why they have not come in as permanent civil servants.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

Has my hon.

friend just found that out to-day?

Mr. ROBB:

No; I am just making that

observation. As regards the question whether the act should be extended for another year, some applications have come in from different sources. It is pointed out by the actuaries that all this means an addition to the expense of carrying out the legislation and the matter requires a good deal of study. I will suhmit my hon. friend's question to the actuaries and I shall be in a better position to answer him in a few days.

Sir EUGENE FISET (Rimouski):

I should like to support the contention of the hon. member.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Only questions can be put on the orders of the day.

Sir EUGENE FISET:

I should like to

know what is going to be done.